


You'd be good to me (And I'd be so good to you)

by AuraSweet13



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-13 20:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5715679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slight canon divergence from Zal Bin Hasaan, in that Samar doesn't sleep with Ressler. Navabington fluff. Will likely have more than one chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Samar was breathing hard as she glanced up, meeting Red's eyes, before they flicked to the ground and then over to the man known as Hasaan. Her brother. Part of her was relieved that she had been saved in time, but that was small in comparison to the crushing weight of betrayal and loss that she felt. After everything she had done for Shahin, everything she had sacrificed for him, this was how he repaid her? Ashamed wasn't a strong enough word to convey how it made her feel. She kept a tight grip on the gun in her hands as Red started to speak, telling the condensed version of a story she'd heard so many times before this point. The poem of Zal and the great mythical bird known as Simurgh. She kept her eyes on Red, using every inch of self control she had not to break down sobbing.

"What do you want?" Shahin got out.

"Another spin of the bottle in Melanie Rightman's basement." Red snarked in his usual way. "But, I'll settle for you."

Samar finally found her voice, drawing comfort from Red's voice and presence, from Red's man holding a gun on Shahin, stopping him from doing anything, from the feel of the gun in her hands. "What now?" She didn't take her eyes off of him, feeling like he was the only person that was real in that moment. Even over herself.

"That's your decision. You can turn him in, you know what'll happen. Rendition, hunger strikes, eventually death in whatever hellhole he's thrown into. Or you can give him to me. The best I can offer is death with a purpose." He watched her look at Hasaan as he said this.

When she looked back to him, he could see the vulnerability in her gaze, the uncertainty in her posture. "Which is?"

He found himself flooded with sympathy for her. Red could only imagine the trying day she must have had. "Agent Keen's freedom." Red kept his eyes on her, wanting to help her in any way he could.

Before she could speak again, Hasaan did instead. "Sister." Both of them looked in his direction. "You swore to protect me." If Samar didn't know what she did about him, what he had done, who he was, she almost would've fallen for it, for the helpless way he was looking at her.

But she had been manipulated by him too much, lost too much, today, to even consider falling for it. She met his gaze. "I swore to protect my brother." The words hurt her to say, even if they were true. "He died in Pishin." As she turned back to Red, she felt her calm facade crack, and as she started to speak, it shattered completely. "Hasaan is all yours." Her lips quivered, her eyes stung, and she quickly glanced away from any of them.

Red watched her, the concern in his eyes hidden by his sunglasses as he gave the barest nod to his man, who was holding Shahin, watching as he was yanked up. But he was also aware of Samar giving himself a nod before turning and walking away. He focused on climbing down the ladder instead, deciding to figure out what to do once he was off the boat.

 

Samar could barely breathe now that the floodgates had opened to begin with. Her body was shaking, not only with the chill of the wind on her bare arms, the stress of the day, the shock of her brother's betrayal and the scope of his lies, but also with the force it took to keep from completely breaking down. Because she was  _convinced_  that if she started crying, she wouldn't  **stop**. She startled a little feeling fabric being draped around her bare arms. Looking down, she saw brown fabric, and then glanced over as Red came and sat down beside her. It had to be his jacket. The thought hit her like a blast of cold water, and she felt like crying for a whole new reason now. "Thank you." She whispered, swallowing down the tears.

"Samar, I understand that you're in pain." Red's voice was as calming as ever. "And I understand if you want to deal with this on your own. But I want you to know that I am here if you need to talk. Would you like a ride back to the Post Office?"

Samar nodded. "Yes, please. But, I don't think I can stomach going back there just yet." She was a mess, for crying out loud. She couldn't let her colleagues see her like this.

Red nodded sympathetically, and then he had an idea, standing up. He held out his hand to her. "Come with me." He said, but it was clear that the choice was up to her, that he wouldn't make her do anything she didn't want to. 

He watched her glance at his hand and then back up to his face as she reached out to take it, standing up. "Lead the way."

He smiled and led her to his car, where Dembe was waiting.

 

"Where are we?" Samar asked as she looked around. They were in an apartment building, but it wasn't the one where she lived.

"My apartment." Red's tone was casual as he put the key in the lock and turned it.

"You have an apartment?" Samar's brow rose as the door opened.

"You'll find, my dear, that I have many homes under my various aliases. However, this one holds a particularly special place in my heart." Red bowed slightly. "After you."

Samar walked into the apartment. Almost immediately, she felt something against her leg, heard a purring sound. Puzzled, she looked down. There was a brown tabby cat wearing a red collar twining around her feet. Samar smiled weakly, a soft laugh escaping her.

"You can pick him up if you like." She had almost forgotten Red was there until he spoke. "He loves attention, especially from women."

"Sounds like somebody else I know." Samar's tone was teasing as she bent down to scoop the cat into her arms. She wasn't looking at Red, however, so she didn't see the smile that came to his face as a result of her teasing. "What's his name?"

"Felix."

She moved over to sit down in one of the chairs with the cat in her arms. "That's cute." She scratched Felix's head, feeling him purr as she did so. She smiled weakly, but it barely stayed on her face for a fraction of a second. Her eyes were stinging again. And then, before she really registered what was happening, it was like a dam had burst. Feeling inexplicably overwhelmed by the mundane nature of all of this, the feeling of Felix's solid weight in her lap, she let the emotions of the day wash over her. A soft sob escaped her at first. But then it escalated, and her body shook with the force of them. Felix stayed dutifully in her lap, and she drew comfort from the cat's presence.

Red knew all too well how it felt to lose control of your emotions after the stress of a day. Respectfully, he turned away from her, heading into the kitchen instead. He figured she would appreciate the privacy. Not only that, but he didn't particularly relish the thought of seeing her shatter. That wasn't to say he couldn't handle emotions, but rather that he knew when privacy was needed. And it was needed right now.

He stayed in the kitchen, pacing, occasionally examining the door and the interior of the fridge, until he heard her sobs start to subside. And then all he could hear was sniffling. There was a pause. "Red? It's safe for you to come back in."

Once he had the okay from her, he exited the kitchen and moved back towards the small living area. She was still sitting where he'd left her, and Felix was still in her arms. But she had taken her hair out. "Sorry about that." Her eyes were red rimmed, and she looked exhausted. At the same time, however, she looked less like she'd crack if pressure was put on her.

Red shook his head and moved over to sit down in the other chair. "Don't apologize for showing emotion, Samar."

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just...I hate crying in front of people. It makes me feel weak." Samar let Felix go as he jumped down from her lap, and drew Red's jacket around her once more. She'd almost forgotten she was even wearing it, honestly.

"Crying isn't always a sign of weakness." Red didn't particularly like crying himself, but he knew that doing so didn't make you weak. "Anything will shatter if you put enough stress on it. I'm honoured you felt safe enough to cry here."

"Felix helped." Samar brushed her hair back from her face. "And this place reminds me a little of my own apartment." She wasn't smiling, but she was no longer frowning, either, so Red considered that a win. "I'm not sure how much you heard over the phone after the explosion went off before we spoke." Because she knew for a fact that she hadn't hung up on him, she hadn't had time before the explosion.

"I heard everything." As Red said this, his mind flashed back to the shock and near terror he'd felt hearing the explosion on the other end of the line. The gunshots, the angry voices. "Samar, in my life, I can count on both hands the number of times I've been scared. Today was one of them."

This shocked her. He was an international criminal, with tons of contacts, and yet... " _You_ were scared?" She met his gaze. "Why?"

"Because I couldn't  _do_  anything to help until I knew for sure if you were alive, that the explosion hadn't killed you." The sincerity and the vulnerability she saw in his expression flattered her deeply. "I could only stand there, listening to the voices and the footsteps and the gunshots. I didn't want to say anything until I knew who I was talking to, and I can't describe the relief I felt when I realized that you were still alive, that it was  _you_  I heard on the other line and not someone else."

It was extremely difficult for Samar to imagine him scared, least of all for her well being. But she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was completely serious. "I meant to say something sooner, but I was too scared. I didn't dare, not with Hasaan's men so close, especially not since it seemed like they were shooting whoever they found alive." Out of all her skills, it was good to know that her self-preservation instincts hadn't failed her.

"That was smart." Red praised, and in spite of their serious conversation, she grinned. "I'm glad to see that your smile is back." He went serious once again and looked at her.

Samar bit her lip slightly, debating whether she should say what she was thinking. "Having you on the other line really helped me, you know." His brow rose and she took this as a sign to continue speaking. "Knowing that I wasn't alone, even if you weren't there in person, having your calming voice in my ear. I would've been a lot worse off if we hadn't been on a call when all of that occurred."

Red smiled gently, and then surprised himself by reaching for her hand. She let him take it, even twining her fingers with his. "I'm glad I helped in some way. Even if I got the information to you too late to really be of any help."

Samar made a sound of slight disbelief. "You saved my life on that boat. I'd say that is more than enough help." He smiled at this. "I don't know what would've become of me if you hadn't turned up when you did."

Red could imagine, but he didn't want to. "Luckily, we will never have to find that out." He didn't let go of her hand, but she didn't let go of his either. "You should rest now, you've had a long day."

"I can't. I need to go check back in at the Post Office." Samar's dedication caused a sad smile to come to his face. She had lost so much in one fell swoop, nearly died, and yet she was still focused on checking back in with Ressler and Aram.

"I think they'll understand if you take the rest of the day off, Samar." Red told her. Of course, he couldn't make her do anything, nor would he even if he did have the power.

"I should at least call in and tell them." She pulled her phone out of her pocket, and he turned his attention away to give her some privacy. He heard her say that she wasn't going to be coming back in to work, and that she would see them either tomorrow or the day after. Then she hung up the phone and he turned back to look at her.

"Now that that's out of the way, you really should rest." Red's tone was quiet.

"I don't usually sleep very well to begin with." Samar admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "On a ordinary night, it can take me hours to fall asleep. And on a bad one, I tend not to sleep at all." She knew without a doubt that tonight would be a bad one.

Red frowned hearing this. But it was gone in a second. "One of the most vivid memories I have of my mother, may she rest in peace, is that she used to play instrumental pieces of music in the background when I used to have trouble sleeping. I don't know why, but it always worked. Shall I give it a try? Maybe it'll work for you as well."

Samar nodded. "It's worth a try." She got up and moved over to the couch that she had spotted, figuring that would be a more comfortable place to curl up and sleep rather than in the small chair. She could barely even tuck her feet under her body in that chair. Samar laid down on the couch as she watched Red move smoothly over to a record player in the corner of the room. She got comfortable, taking off her shoes and closing her eyes. But she opened them again feeling something climb onto the couch and cuddle with her. Felix. Smiling, she closed her eyes again as some beautiful piece of music filled the room. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

Red looked over at her and smiled wide when he saw her sound asleep on the couch, still wearing his jacket, Felix curled up against her stomach. Grabbing a small blanket, he draped it over her, being careful not to jostle Felix or wake Samar. Then he walked back over to the table to continue attempting to do his puzzle.


	2. Chapter 2

When Samar woke, it was dark, and she didn't know where she was. She felt a sharp sense of panic, until she registered the unfamiliar weight. Glancing down, she saw Felix, Red's cat, curled up against her stomach, where he'd fallen asleep hours ago. The events of yesterday, because it had to be the next day by this point, came back to her in a slow trickle, mingling with the instrumental music that was still playing. Carefully, she got up, wincing as Felix was awakened by her movement. Since it was dark in the apartment save for the sliver of moonlight coming through the blinds, Samar could only assume Red was asleep.

She cautiously ventured around the apartment until she found a door that was open a crack. Peering in, she found Red asleep. Smiling gently, she closed the door back to how it had been before she'd opened it slightly. Then she walked back over and laid down on the couch once more, noticing the blanket on the ground. Red must have put it on her when she fell asleep. Smiling, she reached for it, wrapped herself in it once more, and ended up falling asleep for a little while longer.

 

When Red opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the smell of food. Confused, he rubbed his eyes and sat up, going to the door. Opening it, he found the smell was coming from the kitchen. He ventured out and found Samar in the kitchen. "You didn't have to do this." He said, though it smelled fantastic.

"I know, but I thought it would be a nice change. I haven't cooked for someone other than myself in ages." Samar said and, though she smiled at him, he was too observant to miss the flash of sadness in her eyes. He could see that she was making eggs, and waffles were on a plate next to the stove.

"It smells great." Red told her sincerely. When the food was ready, he helped Samar by getting plates and cutlery. Then they sat down to eat. "Samar, my dear, I was thinking last night. I don't get back here as often as I like, and Kate and Dembe both have their own jobs. What I'm trying to say is that Felix needs someone who can look after him daily. I think you'd be perfect for that. Only if you want to, of course."

Samar's eyes widened. "Really?" She was surprised to hear this. Red nodded. "I would be honoured." She told him sincerely. It would be nice to have another being in the apartment when she got home at the end of the night. Really nice, in fact.

He smiled, and it caused a warm feeling to bloom in her chest. "Fantastic. By the time you leave here, you'll have everything you need to look after him."

Samar didn't want to leave, but she knew she would have to eventually. "Is Dembe still downstairs?" When Red nodded, she continued on. "Because I was thinking that after we finish eating and I help you clean up, I could go home, and get Felix situated in my apartment before heading off to work."

"That's a marvellous idea." Red told her earnestly, earning him another smile. To say he was happy that she seemed to be doing okay, given the events of last night, would be a colossal understatement. "How did you sleep last night? Did the music work?"

Samar nodded. "Yes, it worked. I slept through the night. But, I also had Felix curled up against me, so that probably helped, too. She felt him sitting on her feet under the table.

"I'm glad." He said, and they ate their food in amicable silence after that.

 

The car was silent on the ride back to Samar's apartment. She had Felix curled up in her lap, and his bed on her feet. The food was in the trunk of the car, and Red had a couple of his toys. His favourites, according to Red. Part of her couldn't believe this was happening, that she was actually being given Red's cat to look after. "Are you sure you want me to be the one to look after him?" She asked, glancing over at Red.

"I'm positive, my dear." Red nodded, looking seriously back at her. "Felix took quite a shine to you, and I think the feeling is mutual. I can't think of anyone else I'd trust with Felix that could keep him full time."

"I'll do my best." Samar smiled.

Red smiled, too. "I know you will." When they reached her building, the three of them set about grabbing all of the supplies and bringing them into the building itself. For convenience sake, they took the elevator, and she held Felix, while Red had the toys and the bed and Dembe had the food. She stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hall to her apartment at a pace that the two men could keep up with. She set Felix down so she could unlock her apartment, silently hoping he didn't run off. He stayed at her feet, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She bent down to scoop him up so Red and Dembe could carry everything inside without worrying about tripping on Felix. Then she carried him inside, leaning back against the door to close it.

 

Soon, everything was squared away. Felix was curled up on the counter, and Samar, Red and Dembe were seated on the couch.

"Thank you again for doing this, Samar." Red took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm grateful to know Felix will be in good hands."

"It's no problem." Samar spoke before she had the chance to talk herself out of it. "Besides, it'll give you a reason to come and visit me again soon, if you want."

His smile widened. "I couldn't have said it better." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, and then him and Dembe got up. He walked over to Felix, and she watched him stroke the cat's head, heard Felix's purr all the way from the couch. "You be good for Samar, Felix." She got up to walk them out.

"Thank you for yesterday, Red." She said quietly.

"It was my pleasure." Red looked back at her. "If you need anything whatsoever, you have my number. All you have to do is call."

She nodded. "I know. I'll keep that in mind, thank you." She watched them leave and closed the door behind them, the whole time wondering if she would see Red again anytime soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to thebeautifulbadass for all her input and ideas.


End file.
